Corroded engine bolts

[Max724]

So.....I come to change the rocker head covers for some ones I’ve painted a nice satin black (sacrificial, I know) and replace the bolts with stainless. The vertical piston has already been done, so the fun comes with the horizontal. Being closest to the deck, it picks up all the road crud. As expected, 6 out of the 8 bolts are stuck fast!

I apologise if I’m teaching anyone to suck eggs, but this is how I removed them, and it worked for me :)

Firstly, I had to get some stud extractors, as I’ve already admitted the bolts are knackered but as I already have stainless replacements, this isn’t an issue. I had access to a Snap-On stud removal kit, a left handed thread with a 13mm hex fitting. Similar to the one pictured here.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/Max724/A17E815D-DF9D-4F71-AA42-64353D730F99_zpsjukpszub.jpeg (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/Max724/media/A17E815D-DF9D-4F71-AA42-64353D730F99_zpsjukpszub.jpeg.html)

I had to hammer them in with the biggest BFH I could find.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/Max724/C003CF03-B8A1-450D-B9EF-530996421397_zpsnnmunt70.jpeg (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/Max724/media/C003CF03-B8A1-450D-B9EF-530996421397_zpsnnmunt70.jpeg.html)

Time for some heat, around the casing and with one of them, I even had to heat up the extractor so it expanded in the rounded bolt head.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/Max724/E1A80D21-2312-41B2-95C6-13B23862156E_zpsuovzg7cf.jpeg (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/Max724/media/E1A80D21-2312-41B2-95C6-13B23862156E_zpsuovzg7cf.jpeg.html)

Slowly unscrew and hope it bites and holds.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/Max724/170BED7B-52D0-43C9-945F-7A0546A21849_zpsxf5h5ayt.jpeg (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/Max724/media/170BED7B-52D0-43C9-945F-7A0546A21849_zpsxf5h5ayt.jpeg.html)

Voila!

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/Max724/32B2F525-3B7E-4859-9D68-7B0014F24A89_zps6mmucxop.jpeg (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/Max724/media/32B2F525-3B7E-4859-9D68-7B0014F24A89_zps6mmucxop.jpeg.html)

I know there was a jerry can behind, but it was well out of the way of the heat :)

[Yorkie]

Great pictures and good step by step guide.

Yorkie

[Mossleymonster]

I need to replace all of the O rings on both the cam covers and the end caps, am seeing slight weepage.

Does anyone have the sizes of these? Prices seem silly just for O rings.

[Max724]

I need to replace all of the O rings on both the cam covers and the end caps, am seeing slight weepage.

Does anyone have the sizes of these? Prices seem silly just for O rings.

I had to look on the parts catalog to find out what you meant as my M600 just has a metal gasket.

I used a 2010 1100S as an example and found that the cam cover has an O-ring part number 886.4.138.1A. And the side cap has a smaller O-Ring part no 886.4.060.2A.

Athena make a replacement o-ring for the cam cover, which is £4.76 on ebay (item no 401574557710) and measures 63.17 x 2.62mm - I assume that's cheaper than Genuine Ducati?

Struggling to find the side cap o-ring though. Have you though about buying a replacement gasket set from Athena? Probably still cheaper than buying the o-rings separately.

[Mossleymonster]

I had to look on the parts catalog to find out what you meant as my M600 just has a metal gasket.

I used a 2010 1100S as an example and found that the cam cover has an O-ring part number 886.4.138.1A. And the side cap has a smaller O-Ring part no 886.4.060.2A.

Athena make a replacement o-ring for the cam cover, which is £4.76 on ebay (item no 401574557710) and measures 63.17 x 2.62mm - I assume that's cheaper than Genuine Ducati?

Struggling to find the side cap o-ring though. Have you though about buying a replacement gasket set from Athena? Probably still cheaper than buying the o-rings separately.
€111 for 6 O rings Yikes, I think I'll strip the covers off and go to an O ring shop lol.

[Max724]

€111 for 6 O rings Yikes, I think I'll strip the covers off and go to an O ring shop lol.

F***! They know how to charge!

[Mossleymonster]

€111 was for the top end set from Athena lol.